RuPocalypse Now
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 12:14AM 
Did any of you watch the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4? I'm always wanting to write about it because, more than most performers, drag stars love to mash up pop cultural influences including movies. It's not only the typical Gay Films that get referenced but camp classics of all sexual persuasions (Waterworld classifies as a straight camp classic, right? I mean it's dreadfully serious about itself but it's terrible) and even regular classics, albeit usually the feminine ones. The theme of the first episode was the apocalypse and the first part of the contest was a photoshoot in which the queens were sprayed with "toxic waste" while Ru shouted out instructions. At one point Ru yelled "give me Karen Silkwood!" I can't picture The Great Lady Streep watching this sort of thing but I bet she would have chortled.
Despite all the cultural referencing its evident (sometimes) that many queens are merely parroting the past without actually knowing what they're referencing. So I tend to gravitate towards the smarter queens who are a little more savvy about drag as art and understand gay culture's magpie qualities
WillamIt's dangerous to choose favorites early on in competition shows but I love Willam (Willam Belli) because he seems smarter than the room and could actually back up the bravado and name dropping. He's got a long list of film and TV credits.
I'm a successful drag queen. I'm not some bitch who has to show for a dollar."
"I've worked with Oscar Winner Diane Keaton," Willam bragged in the after show. Not just Diane Keaton, bitches. Oscar Winner being a title like Dame, see.
My other instant favorite was Sharon Needles who won the apocalypse challenge by understanding what they were looking for: creative scary theater. The winning look and more movie notes after the jump.
Nosferatu posing while doing a typical diva catwalk was a shockingly strong juxtaposition. And the blood suddenly pouring from her mouth during closeup was a total surprise and thus really great theater / television. Sharon Needles described her persona prior to even knowing the challenge as "Beautiful. Spooky. And Stupid." The last part is definitely an act.
Bizarrely she never referenced Nosferatu while building this look instead describing it like so.
I'm kind of going for Linda Hamilton Beauty and the Beast trapped under the city because of a nuclear dust cloud."
Which. Well. Points if you can see that.
Many of Sharon's competitors didn't really understand the challenge. One, Lashauwn Beyond, couldn't even pronounce it mangling 'post-apocalyptic' every time and saying 'I don't even know what that means but I'm going to do an end of the world look.'
Ummm.
Other pop culture bits, history, movie and celebrities tossed around carelessly in words or performativity in this episode included Cher, Black Swan, Grace Jones, Mahogany, Escape From New York, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Stephen Sondheim's "I'm Still Here", Waterworld, Magellan, and The Devil Wears Prada... "That's all"
Oh wait, there was one more. Elvira got herself into trouble with the other judges when she dissed one look by saying that it reminded her of Showgirls (1995) "the worst movie ever made."
You just don't use Showgirls as a negative around the queens, no shade.
Diane Keaton, Drag Queens, Nosferatu, RuPaul's Drag Race, Showgirls, TV
Reader Comments (26)
Not a big fan of Willam, but I am in love with Sharon Needles.
I think I almost fell over when Ru screamed "give me Karen Silkwood!"
Sharon Needles is flawless. And I agree totally that Willam is the smartest one in the bunch, I just wish she didn't know it.
Sharon Needles was so far in front of the pack there shouldn't even have been a top three. Loved her, loved him (especially his reaction to the news Elvira was going to be the guest judge). And the other queen who flattered him by loving his "meth look".
The episode's digs at Shangela were the highlight (especially when she met her fate at the hands of the zombies).
Willam can't be gone fast enough for me.
Willam is not in the same league....She is smarter, quicker and hotter than any of the others. I feel like she is going to make it through and win this....love Sharon too though...Those 2 girls have this show
I so hope Sharon's flawlessness keeps up throughout the season. Mostly, I'm just so excited Drag Race is back!
No one likes a Smarty Pants. Willam's look is not as polished as some of the others, so she needs to tone her ish WAAAAAY down, and show some humility. Sharon on the hand? Smart, but does not have to beat U over the m.f. ing head w/ that ISH. Huge difference.
Lshiku -- um.I love a smarty pants. so that's one person :(
PReynolds -- isn't it funny that PhiPhi, the only ladyboy as handsome as Willam hated her so instantaneously. Too much competition I guess.
I don't think Sharon will last long in the show. One of the judges said that she wanted to see Sharon next time in pretty drag or something like that. Being too special is a handicap in this show (see Nina Flowers of the first season, who is my favorite contestant ever). I think that a plus sized girl will win (or a white one).
I loved the big queen that went to prison, her entrance was FIEEEEEEERCE!
I get a felling they may be pushing for a Jiggly Caliente forward a lot. They already seem to love her, she won the first challenge (which should have gone to Latrice Royale). Willam was a bit up himself - he just needs the goods to back it up (and I the only one who thinks his illusion is not that strong).
I agree with most of the comments, Willam turned me off with her bragging and constant demeaning of the other contestants. It'd be funny to tell everyone to "go home" after completing your photo challenge if everything leading up to that weren't of the exact same ilk. Rude.
I'm on Team Sharon for the moment. Even her introduction video posted on Logo's site a few weeks back was great. Each queen had to complete the sentence: "Season 4 will be..." and most of them chose "fierce" or "sickening." Sharon's answer: "Cancelled?" hahaha. She's smart and super funny, but I actually worry for her humor, as that did no favors to the incredible Pandora Boxx.
I am so glad you like Sharon, Nate, since she is a Pittsburgh queen!
I've seen her perform, and I can say that she is always pulling out all the stops so I can see her going very far in the competition. I hate that people say she won't do well cause she's pretty. I think RuPaul really appreciates it when people incorporation the themes and ideas detailed in the challenege.
Oh, did you see how Michelle Visage did the Nomi Malone Goddess hand move after Elvira's Showgirls crack? That was the best back-up-bitch-or-I'll-cut-you gesture I've seen in a long time.
//Waterworld classifies as a straight camp classic, right? I mean it's dreadfully serious about itself but it's terrible//
Nat, if I recall correctly, that is pretty much Susan Sontag's definition in a nutshell. (She also defines the work of Willam Morris, he of the Arts and Craft Movement of the 19th C, as camp, in part because he was terribly serious in his intentions.) "Campiness" has been claimed by the gay community (if that's the right term) but "camp" is not exclusive to sexual orientation or any one group. Ed Wood's films are camp because he wasn't trying to be funny, he was making the best films he knew how to make. In other words, the audience is laughing despite (or because of) the fact that the creator isn't in on the joke. (Kenneth Branaugh's movie "Dead Again" might qualify - when I saw it in the theaters everyone was laughing at bits that I'm pretty sure weren't meant to be funny.)
Of course I'm a lesbian so maybe I don't have my finger on the pulse of camp, so to speak; lesbians don't really "do camp" (but then again I've know a LOT of lesbians who are DEADLY SERIOUS about themselves, about "womyn's music", their politics, etc - that's got to be camp by Sontag's definition at some point, right?)
Is that quote from William out of context? I read that and thought, ugh; comes across as an arrogant name-dropper to me.
Janice -- well i have to say that Camp and its definition is just on my brain because of that New York Observer article I linked to yesterday.
the Willam quote is not out of context. That was just him introducing himself basically. Loved it. I like bravado if the person is smart / talented. The only time it totally turns me off is if the person can't back it up or is needlessly mean spirited. which I only really saw from, what, PfiPfi on the debut. Very full of herself, very mean girl
Kurtis -- I KNOW. i almost wanted to include 20 more screenshots.
I actually love Willam, that bitch is hilarious. Have you seen Ticked Off Trannies with Knives? Amazing. Gurl's got some scurry 5'o shadow though. Pissed that one of the only two good looking guys (out of drag) is gone already. Especially since that chubby possum Jiggly is still there. Granted, her lip sync was fierce but I hate that little roly poly.
Love me some Sharon Needles though! Scary Cher bitch is a no. A hell no. Even though he seems nice, lol.
Erik -- i think you're forgetting that PhiPhi is also kind of gorg' out of drag. Though maybe the evil bitchiness disguised it with ugliness?
I don't know how far a horror queen can go on this show, but I'm thoroughly on Team Sharon Needles. Did you catch the tentacle finger prosthetics she's going to wear in a future episode? She's a big film buff. You can search on YouTube for her Human Centipede-inspired Halloween performance.
LOVE this show, thanks for writing about it. "Give me Karen Silkwood realness!"
I knew I was going to love Willam and Sharon Needles from their promo videos (Because Willam's 2 minute intro promo video is an actual true work of genius), but the real surprises for me were Latrice Royale and Phi Phi O'Hara. The only way I can seem to describe what I like in a drag queen is that if I can tell that they "get it." If they get the irony of the show in a genuine way, I usually love them. Sharon Needles and Willam both clearly get it and
Yeah, I know. Phi Phi is the other but omg what a biiiiitch.
Chad Michaels is an icon. Willam is a C grade actor. We'll see how he turns it when out of his element. So far, his fashion is dreadful. Just like Shangela, he'll never be the next Drag Superstar. Ru's criteria is clear. You must eat, breathe, sleep drag and be able to articulate a meaningful from the heart point of view to others. This, is why Raja had it all over the other queens not because of her runway but because of her authenticity and heart. Which Ru stated on the finale when referencing Manila's lack of emotional depth. I also wonder if Willam has any clue that RuPaul lives, eats and breathes showgirls since he's so quick to diss them. Not smart.
I am now actively looking for an excuse to say "Give me Karen Silkwood!" in my everyday life. I'm also a lot happier with the casting this year and all the Sharon Needles-love.
"There's about 20 different kinds of drag" -- good point when Sharon and the other ladyboi were discussing the shade the some of the queens were throwing at Ms. Needles. With Raja's win last season, I think Ru finally got beyond awarding wins to his clones and recognized how drag can be a true artistic performance art.
Best reality show out there.
Craig -- yep. And yet no golden statues. (sigh)
Sharon Needles FTW, obvs. She wiped the floor with the other manladies in this particular challenge. They were all fighting for second/third tbh.
Ru almost game me a heart attack bringing back Shangela again like that.
The Showgirls defense made me die.
I'm can't stand Jiggly Caliente or Kenya Michaels. So over the show trying to shove these kind of personalities down my throat in the aftermath of Yara and Alexis. ESL, 'spicy' latin girls in to add some 'flavor' and comedy? Over it since they've become a token every season now. And these two seem like such low-rent versions of their predecessors. Kenya is basically Baby Yara and who needs that when the original was so awesome and special?
Willam = a young Bernadette Peters
The Princess could turn out really interesting.
Madame LaQueer = Delta Work, Parte Dos